THROUGHOUT August, Police and Crime Commissioner Winston Roddick will be visiting agricultural shows in North Wales.

He will meet farmers and people from rural areas to get their views about the Rural Crime Plan recently introduced by North Wales Police.

This will not be the first time the Commissioner has engaged with local farming communities: during his election campaign last autumn he visited several livestock markets and met farmers and their union representatives.

It was following these encounters that he decided to make rural crime one of his priorities for policing in North Wales.

One of the first things he did as Commissioner was to ask the Chief Constable to create an operational delivery plan to address the types of crime which affect rural areas.

Mr Roddick explained: “As Commissioner, I have a duty to listen to the views of people in North Wales and to represent those views when setting the strategic direction for the police.

“During the election period I spoke to many hundreds of people at various locations and one of the resounding concerns was that of rural crime.

“I was told time and time again by people living in rural and often isolated areas that they were becoming increasingly worried about crime in their communities.

“I spoke to many farmers who had experienced some form of rural crime, including theft of equipment, fuel, scrap metal and animals.”

A key aim of the campaign is to address perceptions of rural crime as well as the reality of it.

Mr Roddick said: “North Wales has many rural parts, and therefore many people are potentially affected by rural crime or the fear of it.

“Through the Rural Crime Plan, the police will be tackling some of these issues with the aim of further reducing crime and making people feel safer both at home and in public places.”

One of the key features of the North Wales Rural Crime Plan is a brand new team of seven PCSOs and three police officers dedicated to dealing with rural crime.

The PCSOs have been in post for several months and have begun forming relationships with local communities.

The three Rural Crime Officers, funded through an increase in the council tax police precept, were recently appointed and will be in post by early September at the latest.

Sgt Rob Taylor, rural crime team manager, said: “The new team will bring its own new challenges, which I’m confident we can meet.

“The new constables will take a strategic approach to covering six counties between them. They’ll also work closely with farmers and the rural community to provide a high profile presence and tackling crime.”

Mr Roddick hopes the Rural Crime Team will help reassure home owners and businesses in rural areas.

“Visible police presence is of great importance to the public,” he said.